Snack Medley: Cassava Chips, Bean Balls, and Roasted Jugo Beans & Chickpeas
This Snack Medley Recipe for Cassava Chips, Bean Balls, and Roasted Jugo (Bambara) Beans & Chickpeas, demoed by Siphiwe Sithole at this years Good Life Show turns cassava root, bambara beans, and chickpeas into crispy, flavourful bites. These perfectly seasoned treats serve as a delightful and quick appetiser or snack option.
Ingredients
- 3 kg Cassava roots / tubers peeled and washed
- 1 kg Jugo (Bambara) beans soaked overnight and boiled
- 3 C Rhodes Quality Chick Peas, rinsed and drained
- 2 C Rhodes Quality Butter Beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 kg Coconut oil odourless
- 60 g Pink salt
- 10 g Hinds Pure White Pepper
- 20 g Hinds Mixed Herbs
- 20 g Thyme, chopped
- 10 g Hinds Paprika
- 200 g white onions grated
- 80 g chickpea flour to be used as a binding agent
- 2 C Rhodes Quality Indian Style Tomatoes to be blended
Instructions
Cassava Chips
- Cassava has a thick skin that should be unwrapped rather than peeled like a potato. Begin by pre-cooking the potatoes and adding salt while they boil. Once cooked, allow them to cool before cutting half into two pieces to remove the string in the centre. Slice them into the shape and size of slap chips.
- In a frying pan, pour in coconut oil as needed and heat it up without letting it reach a smoking point.
- Add the dried cassava and fry until golden brown.
- Once golden brown, take them out of the oil and place them on kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil.
- Serve immediately with salt to taste.
Spicy and regular Bean Balls
- Soak the Jugo (Bambara) beans overnight, then boil them until soft, adding salt midway through the cooking process.
- Ingredients for both spicy and regular bean balls: Combine mixed herbs, thyme, onions, salt, and white pepper to taste.
- For the spicy bean balls: Blend 600g of the cooked Jugo beans and mix in half of the above ingredients mixture, along with the paprika and 1 tablespoon of oil. Process all the ingredients in a blender until no large chunks remain, but avoid blending too finely.
- For the regular bean balls: Blend 2 cans of butter beans and 2 cans of chickpeas into a smooth mash. Add half of the above ingredients mixture and 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. Process all the ingredients in a blender.
- Incorporate the chickpea flour, 40g into each batch of the bean ball mixture, ensuring there are no lumps.
- Heat a pan or wok with oil for frying. Use a small soup ladle or tablespoon to scoop the bean ball mixture into the hot oil.
- Fry the balls for about 6-7 minutes, turning down the heat after 2 minutes to ensure they cook evenly without burning on the outside while remaining raw inside.
- Avoid overcrowding the pan, and turn the balls to achieve an even golden colour.
- Once cooked, place them on a paper towel to drain excess oil.
- Serve hot or warm.
Crispy roasted Jugo beans and Chickpeas
- Roast or air fry the remaining Jugo beans and a can of chickpeas.
- Start by draining and rinsing the chickpeas (there's no need to dry them).
- Combine the Jugo beans and chickpeas with about 2 tablespoons of coconut oil.
- Heat air fryer to 200°C.
- Place the entire mixture in the air fryer basket and cook for 12-15 minutes, shaking the basket a couple of times during the process.
- When cooked to your liking, remove from air fryer. Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed. Don’t hesitate to spice things up with some paprika or cayenne pepper! Toss the chickpeas and Jugo beans with spices right after they come out of the air fryer; a sprinkle of salt, and pepper and your favourite spice blend. ;-)
- Using the air fryer not only reduces cooking time to just 15 minutes but also results in a crispier texture compared to the oven!
Serving Suggestions:
- Present everything on one plate or mini platter alongside blended Indian-style tomatoes for dipping.
- The cassava must not be overcooked. It must remain firm so it is easy to cut.
Notes
Dairy-Free, Gluten Free, Nut Free, Vegan